Strangers are Overrated
by LauralovesPLL
Summary: Sometimes love is between two best friends, or high school sweethearts. Sometimes it is planned. However, there are rare cases in which love is spontaneous and unexpected. Two strangers know this for a fact. Ezria: R&R!
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1: Strangers at a Club, Lovers at Heart**

Sweat. Body heat. Alcohol. Aria pushed through the crowd that seemed to vibrate with people gently, along with her three best friends. She made her way straight to the bar and took a seat, not really feeling the want to be here anymore.

"Aria," Hanna said, taking a seat next to her best friend on the barstool, "It is your twenty-first birthday. You have to celebrate." Aria looked at her and scrunched up her face.

"Yeah, well, kind of hard to do when you catch your boyfriend in your bed with someone else," she sighed as she played with the hem of her sequence clubbing dress.

"Look," Spencer glided up behind her and wrapped her arms around her neck, "Maybe if you drink a little, get into the beat, and meet someone new, you might just forget about Eric. Come on, just try. You need this."

"Yeah, hon," Emily yelled over the boom of the music, "You're twenty-one, 5'2, tiny, and amazing. Damn, if only you were gay…"

The group laughed and Aria let out a giggle, "Em..."

"I'm kidding," she smiled widely at her and nudged her arm, "Someone will find you and never want to let go. Eric was bad news. Someone new would do you good."

"Thanks guys," Aria said as she looked around the room full of many dancing bodies, "You guys go and dance. I'll just get some alcohol running through my veins first. Really, go."

The small brunette watched as her friends scurried off onto the dance floor; being engulfed by the sea of sweaty bodies, grinding on complete strangers. She gave a sigh of stress. She had found her boyfriend, well, ex-boyfriend, Eric, at her apartment with someone who wasn't her in bed next to him. Sure, she was going to break up with him a few days later that week anyway, but it still hurt her that he would lie and hurt her like that. The incident had happened a few months ago, but she still saw him every day, since they went to the same gym. She was still heartbroken at how he or anyone for that matter, ter macould do that so easily and still be fine.

She took a sip of her drink that the bar tender had just given her and stood from her seat. As she pressed the glass to her lips, someone bumped into her from behind, causing the whole thing to spill on her chest.

"Oh my God," a man behind her said slowly, "I am so sorry about that. Would you like me to help you clean up?"

"No, it's alright," Aria replied, turning to face the young, dark-haired, tall, and handsome man standing in front of her, "Really, it's fine."

The guy looked her up and down, admiring her beauty as she admired his. Their eyes met at the same time, and Aria saw something in them that she was immediately drawn to.

"Look, I won't leave you here until I help you," he said softly, taking her hand and leading her toward the bathrooms. "My name is Ezra, by the way," the blue eyed man said as he handed her a wet paper towel.

"Aria," she replied with a sweet smile, taking the towel from his hands and dabbing it across her chest. Ezra melted inside, feeling a complete and undeniable attraction toward her. She looked up at him and hopped of the little counter, retrieving more towels from the dispenser.

"So what brings you here," Aria asked, rinsing another towel under the lukewarm water and continuing to clean her upper body.

"I needed to get out, but truthfully, clubs aren't really my thing," Ezra admitted. "And what about you? Are you one of those diehard, party girls?"

Aria giggled, causing Ezra's heart thump hard against his ribcage, "No, not at all. Today is my birthday, actually. I'm twenty-one."

"Happy birthday," Ezra smiled warmly at her as she threw away her paper towels, finished cleaning up. She leant against the wall beside him and turned her head to face him, "Thanks. My friends decided to take me out tonight, but honestly I don't really care for clubs, either. It was more of their choice."

"I know what you mean," Ezra said, scooting a little closer to her, "I'd much rather be checking out the new bookstore downtown."

"Me, too," Aria agreed, rolling her head back and looking at him.

"Well, do you want to ditch this place and go," Ezra asked with a genuine smile, "It is your birthday, after all. You should be doing what you want to do."

She scrunched up her nose, thinking it over, "Well, you don't strike me as someone who will attack me in the middle of the street and kill me. Right?"

Ezra chuckled, "I swear I won't lay a hand on you. I honestly don't think I am capable of killing anything."

"Well, then, sure," she said softly, "As long as you buy me a book."

"I wouldn't have it any other way," Ezra replied, sticking his hand out for her, which she took immediately.

"I really like this one," Aria said as she inspected "The Hunger Games" by Susan Collins. Ezra walked toward her and leaned over her shoulder to get a glimpse of what the book is about. Aria watched him in the corner of her eye, feeling his breath on her bare shoulder.

"I'll get it for you," Ezra suggested, "And the other three books in the trilogy. Along with this one," he held out "To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee, "It's my favorite."

"Ezra, that's so sweet of you, but that, is way too much to be spending on me. A random stranger whom you spilt beer on," Aria laughed and shook her head slightly.

"I insist, birthday girl," Ezra snatched the book gently from her hand and took the others off the shelf before she could continue protesting and put them on the counter. His eyes gleamed as he looked over at Aria, who just smiled and watched him as he paid for the books.

"Just so you know, 'To Kill a Mockingbird' is my favorite, too," Aria looked up at him as he sat down next to her on the floor between two deserted bookcases. He placed the plastic bag filled with books in her lap.

"Another thing we have in common," Ezra chuckled. He watched her hazel eyes smile flirtatiously as she took out a book and flipped open to the first page. He watched those same, gorgeous eyes follow along with the words written on each page, and he didn't want to look away. Something about her, he couldn't quite figure out what it was, drew him to her. Everything she did was beautiful. It was as if he was addicted. She bit her bottom lip as she concentrated hard on the words, seeming to block out everything and everyone else.

Aria looked up from the book, catching Ezra staring. She blushed for a moment before shutting the book and placing it back in the bag, "You bought me books, so now I feel like I have to treat you to something. And I am not leaving your side until I give you something in return."

Ezra looked into her mesmerizing eyes, "Well, then I'm not telling you what I want, if that is the case," Aria sighed and gave him a puppy dog face, "Fine. How about we get some frozen yogurt and go for a walk?"

Aria held her shoes in her hand as she took another bite of her frozen treat. Ezra was right beside her, looking into the star-filled sky. They made their way into the local park, which was now deserted from it being so late. Aria took a seat on one of the benches, pulling her legs under her. Ezra smiled at her and took a seat next to her, "So, what is your birthday wish? You have to have one."

Aria's face scrunched up as she shook her head, "I have one, but I can't burden you with the story that goes along with it."

"Aria, I want to know more about you," Ezra said softly, "Maybe this is one way I can. Believe it or not, I'm a good listener."

Aria put her frozen treat down next to her, "Well, I've been hurt really bad. I was going out with this guy for about two months, but things weren't really going well for me. He just wasn't my type, so I was planning on breaking it off with him the next day. Well, I was coming home from my friend's house, and when I walked into my apartment, I found him in bed with someone else. I know I shouldn't have been hurt like that, since I was going to break up with him anyway, but it was just the idea that someone could do that to someone they supposedly care about." Ezra sat quietly, listening to every word she said. He watched as a hurt expression crossed her face. "That was three and a half months ago. I still see him a lot at the gym and around town, and he looks fine. Like nothing happened. How can someone do that?"

"I don't know," Ezra admitted, shrugging his shoulders. Aria looked up from her lap and stared into his ocean blue eyes. "I've been hurt like that. Except, a different situation. There was this girl who I had it bad for. She flirted with me and led me on. One day, I finally had enough courage to ask her on a date, and she laughed in my face when I did. What made it even worse is that she dated my best friend afterwards."

"What a bitch," Aria breathed, causing Ezra to let out a huff of air.

"No kidding," Ezra said, looking around and then back at Aria, "But I got over her. It hurt for a while, yes, but you'll move on. Trust me."

"That is my wish. To find a guy that I know won't hurt me from the start. Thank you for listening," Aria gave him a hug, her heart beating loudly. His was the same. They stayed in their embrace for what felt like hours but really seconds.

"Close your eyes," Ezra told her gently after a comfortable silence. Aria hesitantly did as she was told and shut her eyes. She heard him shuffle around a bit and then get still. "Open." Aria smiled widely as she looked at what he held in his hands. It was a large chocolate cupcake from the bakery they got their frozen yogurt from. It had the words "Happy Birthday" written across it in icing. And, last but not least, he downloaded an iPhone app that was a lit candle and held it over the cupcake.

"This is the sweetest thing anyone has ever done for me," she smiled and giggled appreciatively.

"You deserve it, Aria," Ezra replied, "You are the most amazing woman I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. Or spilling a drink on," they both let out a small laugh, "Happy Birthday." Aria's eyes watered as she blew into the phone's speaker, causing the virtual fire to blow out. Ezra handed her the treat, and she split it between the both of them.

* * *

"Thank you for everything tonight," Aria said as they neared her apartment building. "I had an amazing birthday, thanks to you."

"I had a lot of fun, too," Ezra replied, taking her hand as he carried her shoes and books in the other. "Maybe we could do this again sometime?"

"Sure," Aria agreed, stopping on the stone steps, "Name a time and date."

"Tomorrow," Ezra asked before the last word came out of her mouth. "I'll come get you tomorrow around six and we can go out together. Anywhere you want, as long as I get to spend time with you."

The corners of Aria's mouth turned up into a smile as she leaned in and gave him a kiss on the cheek, "Tomorrow at six. Give me your phone so I can give you my number." He quickly handed her his phone and took a picture for her contact. He then texted the number, causing her to receive his and take a picture.

"Well," Aria said as she began to walk up the steps, "I'll see you tomorrow. Thank you again, Ezra."

"It was no problem at all, Aria," he replied, opening the buildings door for her. She smiled warmly at him before disappearing up a flight of stairs. He sighed happily to himself and couldn't stop smiling. He had never felt this way toward anyone; especially someone he had just met. However, Aria made him feel different and amazing. He couldn't really explain what she did to him, but it was a magical feeling.

Aria slammed her door happily, smiling ear to ear. What she did tonight was crazy and daring, and she absolutely loved it. She actually met a great guy who made her feel, well, amazing. She dreamily stripped off her clothing and got into her pajamas. A bleep sounded from her phone, causing her to be pulled out of her daydream. She padded over to her bed, where her phone lay, and saw it was none other than Ezra. _"I can't get you out of my head. I never thought I could feel this way for someone I just met. Tomorrow afternoon is too far away. Any way I could see you sooner?"_

Aria lat out a small laugh and quickly replied, _"I feel the same. Maybe you can come over for breakfast tomorrow? Apartment 4C. I can cook my famous eggs and toast. Is it a date?"_

Not even a minute later there was a reply, _"It's a date. I'll call you when I am at your apartment door." _Aria flipped over on her back and let out a happy sigh. Taylor Swift blared from her phone's speaker, indicating someone was calling. Aria answered and got up from her bed, "I thought you said you would call when you were at my door?"

"And I don't lie," Ezra laughed. Aria ran to her door, unlocked it, and flung it open to reveal Ezra. They both hung up the phones and looked at each other. "I needed to see you again."

"It's only been like fifteen minutes," the brunette giggled as she leaned against the door frame.

"Yeah, well," he looked down at his feet, "I needed to see you one more time before I went to sleep. And now that I have, goodnight." He turned on his heel and walked down the hallway, stopping when Aria called his name. As soon as he turned around, her lips were on his. He ran his hands through her hair as it deepened slightly. They pulled away breathlessly afterwards.

"Well, I couldn't sleep tonight without doing that. And now that I have, goodnight," she smiled warmly at him and sprinted back to her door, giving him one last glance before closing the door. Ezra was grinning like an idiot, unable to form words. He just nodded his head and jumped up in the air excitedly, before walking home where he went to sleep, dreaming about the girl he met in a bar. And also loved.

**Note: I have been working on this for a while now. Was it to your liking? Continue? Please tell me in a review! Thanks for reading!**

**~Laura**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: Three Months Later**

Aria put out four wine glasses on the side tables of her sofa, filling them to the rim with rich, strawberry wine. She looked at the clock, finding it to be way too early to be drinking, and she knew she shouldn't be drinking at all, but she felt like she needed to. She sat down on the sofa, staring out the window as she waited for her three best friends.

She looked over to the half empty wine bottle, practically begging for her to drink the rest of it. She shook her head, trying to shake away the thoughts, but they kept coming back stronger. She closed her eyes, but she kept seeing the bottle. She licked her lips, practically tasting the alcohol on her lips. Her hand moved toward it subconsciously when she heard a round of knocks at the door. She jumped, getting pulled out of her trance.

"Aria, open the damn door and give your best friends a hug," Hanna yelled, knocking like a maniac. Aria smiled softly and walked over to the door, unlocking it and flinging it open, revealing Hanna, Spencer, and Emily.

"I've missed you all so much over the summer," she said as she pulled them all in for a group hug. They stayed in their embrace a few seconds longer before pulling away and walking inside, "How have you all been? It has been forever!"

"Yes, it has," Spencer said as she took a seat on the sofa, along with all of the other girls, "You went all MIA on us."

"Yeah," Emily chimed in, nudging Aria playfully, causing her to fake a smile, "We were lucky if we got a phone call from you every few weeks."

"For real," Hanna agreed, passing the wine glasses around. As Aria received hers, she just stared at it while Hanna continued, "You and Fitzy must have hit it off. Speaking of which, where is he now? Buying you flowers, sending you chocolates, buying you new books," the girls giggled, all except for Aria.

The small brunette gripped the glass in her hand and downed the whole thing, soliciting a soft whimper when she finished. The girls watched as she looked sadly at her hands, standing from her spot and pouring herself another glass of alcohol.

"Aria, what is going on," Hanna asked, her voice filled with worry and seriousness, "When we do talk to you, you usually babble your pretty little head off about Ezra."

Spencer watched as she didn't answer and took a big gulp from her second glass of wine, "Aria, please, talk to us. I want to know what has made you so upset."

She looked at her three best friends and let a silent tear fall down her cheek, "It was only for the summer. At the end of August, he had to go and work on his last year of college in New York. I needed to commit to my own work, so we stopped seeing each other. He moved away. I never even got to tell him how I really felt, feel, until it was too late. I miss him so much." She downed the rest of the wine, crying silently as she finished.

"Have you been drinking to try and rid him from your mind," Spencer asked, taking the glass away from her, knowing she was right.

Aria lunged for it, but Emily held her back. Her silent tears turned into full blown sobs, "Please," she choked out, "It makes it hurt less. I need it."

Emily stroked her hair softly, whispering calming words to her as she broke down, "Aria, calm down. Shhhh, it is going to be alright."

"No," she sobbed, curling into her friend's arms, "I need him. I need him." All three girls gathered around her and tried to soothe her, but she ended up falling asleep. They all lifted the tiny girl up and brought her over to her bed. The group sat back down on the sofa in silence as they watched their heartbroken friend whimper in her sleep.

"She is heartbroken, you guys," Hanna said softly, "It is worse than what happened with Eric. I think we need to call Ezra and make him come down here. I can't stand to see her like this."

Spencer looked at the girls, "She has only known him for five months."

"And she loved him, and he loved her," Emily replied matter-of-factly, "She knew Eric for years and didn't love him the way she does Ezra."

Hanna nodded her head, "Em is right, Spence."

"I know," she replied, looking over to her friend, "But she will have to call him, not us."

* * *

Ezra closed the door to his dorm room, sighing as he leant against it. He walked over to the refrigerator, grabbing a beer. He lay down on his bed, wanting nothing more than for Aria to be right beside him. He missed her more than any words can express. The way her eyes shined when they were together still made his knees weak. Her laugh echoed in his head ever since they said their goodbyes. He knew he should've told her how much she meant to him before it was too late. Now, she probably had another man in her life. Someone who let her know all of his feelings and not holding anything back. However, he was a coward. He should've fought for her.

He felt his eyes fill with tears as he reached over to retrieve her photo from his nightstand. He traced her perfect face, wishing he could really be holding her in his arms. He wished for nothing more than for her to call him up right now and say she wanted him back. However, he knew she probably never wanted to speak to him again.

He wished he would've just never left her, but it had been a while since they ended it back in August. Now, it was nearing the end of November, and he knew he had to see her. Just one more time.

"Dude, you will never believe what just happened," his roommate, Darren, ran into the room with a huge grin on his face, "There is this huge plague going around school."

Ezra sat straight up in his bed, "How is that good news?"

"Don't worry," he said, shrugging his reaction off, "It's in the freshman dorms. Anyway, the university is closing for a while for it to stop spreading. We are being transferred to," he thought for a moment and snapped his fingers, "Hollis College! Yeah, that is what it is." Ezra's heart skipped a beat as he processed what just happened. Was fate trying to tell him something? Was he really meant to be with Aria? "Pack your things, dude. We have to be out of here by tonight."

Ezra grabbed his suitcase, threw all of his clothes he saw around the dorm, picked up his picture of Aria, and looked over his shoulder, "This is all I am taking. Have whatever else you want. I'm going to Rosewood, now."

* * *

Aria groaned, bringing her hand to her forehead. She opened her eyes, which darted around the room toward her friends, still sitting on the couch, watching her intently. "Why are you all staring at me like that?"

They all got up and walked over to her bed. Hanna was the one to speak first, "Aria, we love you so much. You are our sister. We don't want you to be hurting like this, okay? Look, we all know that Ezra loved you. Loves you."

She shook her head softly, looking down at her fingers, "No. He doesn't love me. If he would've loved me, he would've came back by now. No one can love me. I just destroy everything. First Eric left me, then Ezra. There is something wrong with me." The girls all had tears in their eyes as they listened to their always happy and perky best friend talk lowly about herself.

Emily gulped and placed a hand on Aria's, "Don't ever say that. We love you. You are the best person I know, Aria. Nothing is wrong with you."

"And you don't destroy everything," Spencer added, "I know you think that now because all you can think of is the bad things that has happened, but all of that will fade away. You are a great person, inside and out, and if any guy makes you feel different, they aren't worth it."

"He made me feel like I was his world," she smiled sadly as she thought of him, "He made me feel like I was the most beautiful girl on Earth. He didn't make me feel different at all. But, now that he has left me, I feel like I wasn't good enough."

"He didn't leave you for good, Aria," Hanna said softly, "He left for school. He will be back, I promise. If fate wants you to be together, then you will be together, okay? But you can't figure out what faith has in store for you if you drink your life away."

"Thank you guys," she said, wiping away a tear.

* * *

"Come on," Ezra said angrily, as his car began to shut down. He pulled off the side of the road just in time before his car came to a complete stop, "Damn it!" He yelled as he hit his steering wheel with the palm of his hand. He got out and lifted his hood, wondering what had gone wrong. A guy, looking around twenty-five or so, pulled up to him and offered him a ride, "I was just going to town. I'll drop you off wherever you need to go."

"Thank you," he replied, grabbing his bags and throwing it in the back of the truck.

"So where are you headed," the man asked, looking over to Ezra curiously.

"Um, the apartment complex across from Mockingbird," he told him, giving him an awkward smile.

The guy smiled and looked at the road, "Oh, yes, I remember that apartment complex well. I have had a few great experiences over there. Well, not one time. It started out great, but my girlfriend at the time came home and caught me cheating on her. I mean, if she would've let me have her a few times, I wouldn't have resorted to cheating, you know? She was just so persistent on waiting until she was married. I wasn't going to give her a ring!"

Ezra listened carefully to the man, finding his words to sound familiar. His eyebrows knitted together in wonder and thought. "I'm sorry, I didn't quite catch your name."

He gave a small laugh and glanced over to him, "Oh, my bad, bro. My name is Eric."

A fire of anger burst inside of him. He looked over to him, "Stop the car." Eric looked at him nervously, but Ezra didn't drop his glare, "I said, 'stop the car'."

"Bro, are you crazy are something," he asked with a nervous laugh as he pulled over to the side of the road, "I mean, you're not going to try and kill me now, are you?"

Ezra rolled his eyes and looked at him with dagger eyes, "Actually, you are the crazy one, 'bro'. I know that girl you cheated on. In fact, I dated her after she caught your sorry ass in bed with another girl that wasn't even half as great as Aria. And it is not her fault for wanting to wait, and if you really loved her, you would wait, too. Don't make it her fault for you being an idiot. And no, this time I won't kill you, but I swear if you ever come near Aria again, or hurt her in any way at all, and I find out, you might want to think about running," Ezra finished and saw the look of nervousness in his face, but he was silent. Ezra kept his stare, "Now, did I make myself clear?"

Eric gulped and nodded, "Mhmmm."

"Good," he mumbled through clenched teeth, "Now, I'll take it from here." He grabbed his bags and through them over his shoulder as he hopped from his truck and started walking to her apartment. He had always wondered what he would do if he ever ran into the person who hurt his girl. And he finally found out. After about two hours of walking in the winter weather, with nothing more than a thin coat, Ezra finally made it to the apartment complex he left three months ago and regretted that decision everyday of his life.

"Thank you, God," he whispered into the air as he walked up to the buzzer and pressed "Montgomery, Aria". He was patiently awaiting a response, but it was wearing thin quickly. He pressed her name again. No answer. Again. No answer. The hope that he had had when he saw the building after two endless hours of road was now gone. _She isn't here. She must've moved. She probably has forgotten about me. _Ezra sighed and ran his fingers through his hair angrily. Fate had told him something at his old college, so where was it now? It surely couldn't have disappeared?

He shook his head sorrowfully before letting his feet take him further down the street, where it led to Hollis College.

* * *

"Aria, would you please stop staring out of the window like that," Hanna said as she looked at Aria in the passenger seat of her car.

"Hanna," Spencer and Emily warned from the backseat.

"What," she asked as she glanced over to Aria, who sat there, looking at the little snow particles beginning to fall, signaling winter was here a little early. She sighed and put her car in park, "Well, you might as well stare out of the window looking like an orphan for the rest of the ride, because we aren't getting out of this traffic jam for another ten hours."

Spencer scoffed, "I think you were born without sensitivity."

Emily frowned, "You guys, stop. We have another hour or so before we can get out of all of this, and I really don't want to hear you fighting the whole time, okay? Let's just worry about Aria here."

The brunette in the front shook her head, "No one needs to worry about me, okay? I'm a big girl. I'm just a big girl whose big dreams and big heart got crushed by a big college in a big city that is big hours away from here."

"Aria," they all said simultaneously, sympathy in their voices.

She looked around at her friends, "No, don't do that. I just need some time to think. I'm going to walk home and make me some coffee there. Thanks for all of your efforts, but this can't be fixed by you." She unlocked her door and got out onto the street, pulling her sweater tighter around her slim body and began her walk to her apartment two blocks away.

She looked around to see the little flurries of snow, landing all around her. Winter was her favorite time of the year. She loved the fashion, the snow, the cold, and Christmas. Everything about the season was perfect. Her boots clacked against the hard cement, echoing throughout the empty streets. She was alone. Except for this one guy she passed, looking extremely lonely, too. She just caught a glimpse of his face, but it was laced with disappointment, regret, and sadness. Just like hers.

Ezra kept walking as the little snowflakes fell onto his face. He felt alone. Like he was the only presence for miles. Sure there was cars lined up in a traffic jam ahead of him, but they didn't know what he was going through. How could they? Well, except this one girl he passed up as he was walking. She looked as if her heart had been trampled by someone. Some crazy idiot who left her. Just like he did with Aria. _Wait. Aria? _He turned around and looked into the distance, not seeing her silhouette anymore. He gathered up all of the strength he had left in his body and ran after her, hoping she didn't get too far.

Aria thought about Ezra, wondering how he was nowadays. Did he really still love her? Would he ever come back? How did he feel about their breakup? She wondered if he held back the most important feelings like she did, or if he really just didn't feel them at all. The guy on the street looked like he had been through hell and back. Was that how Ezra was right now? Now that she thought about the man's face, he resembled Ezra a little. Actually, a lot. _Could I have been Ezra? _

She shook her head, thinking that she imagined it. After all, she had seen Ezra's face on millions of people since the breakup. What makes this one different? "Aria," she heard someone call out of breath behind her.

She turned slowly around, getting the answer to the question, "Ezra?"

"Yeah, it's me," he replied as she watched his hot and heavy breath appear as smoke against the cold winter air.

Aria looked at him, wanting to just jump into his arms and make up for everyday she didn't kiss him, but she needed to know why he didn't come sooner, "Why now? Why did you wait three months to come back?"

Ezra looked at her pained face, guilt washing over his own, "I'm sorry for not telling you the truth about what I feel toward you. Aria, I love you more than I can even say. I was a coward for leaving you. I should've realized that you are more important to me than some big college far away. Where I need to be is right here with you. So, I guess fate stepped in and told me to come and find you. The university I was at shut down and they are sending us to Hollis. I packed my bags so fast and was on my way to see you, but my car stalled. I hitched a ride from a random guy, but it turned out to be that jerk, Eric."

"You were with Eric," she asked, walking a little closer to him.

"Yeah," he said, "But not for long. Once I found out who he was, I made him stop the car, told him a few things, and walked the rest of the way over here."

"How long did you walk for," she asked curiously, looking into his bright blue eyes that she had missed for far too long.

"Two hours," he replied, causing her eyes to grow wide, "Now, I'm here." He walked closer to her, inches away from her face, "I know you probably hate me for leaving you, but I had to at least see you one last time. I needed you to know that you are more than anyone could ever want in a woman, and I was too stupid not to stay with you. I'm so sorry, Aria. I love you so much, and I just want-," he was abruptly cut off by her lips attacking his. He dropped his belongings as she jumped into his arms and wrapped her legs around his waist. He held her tightly to him, afraid that this was all a dream. That it was too good to be true.

They pulled apart for air, pressing their foreheads against one another as they breathed heavily. "I love you, too," Aria stated as she continued to stare at him, "You have no idea how long I have waited for you to say those things to me. Three months is way too long to be without you."

"Aria, a day without you is far too long," he corrected her as he looked into her big hazel orbs. She smiled and reattached their lips as they embraced each other in street, together again at last.

**Note: Very satisfied with this chapter. Sorry for any mistakes. School has started, and since I am new and a little freshman, I am so overwhelmed and busy. I probably won't be able to update as fast anymore, but I will try every free chance I get. Thank you all for giving me encouragement and for reading what I post on here. I'm doing this for all of you:) Please review!**

**~Laura**


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